Meet the Team

Founder and Director of Operations for Bozeman, Montana-based Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures (www.yellowdogflyfishing.com), Jim began working in the fly fishing industry at the age of 14. Over the years, he has worked as a guide, sales rep, travel coordinator, and as past National Sales Manager for Scientific Anglers. He’s guided extensively in Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, and Oregon, and has fished throughout the world in over 50 different countries.

In 1999, Jim founded Yellow Dog, a fly fishing booking and travel company that has grown to become one of the largest and most recognized entities in sporting travel. As Yellow Dog’s Director, Jim spends a lot of time scouting and researching destinations throughout the world. Aside from his ongoing work with Yellow Dog, Jim is also the co-founder of Confluence Films, a film production company that created the fishing movies DRIFT (2008), RISE (2009), CONNECT (2011), WAYPOINTS (2013) and PROVIDENCE (2016).

In 2017, Jim was awarded the American Museum of Fly Fishing’s “Izaak Walton Award,” given out once a year to honor and celebrate individuals who live by the Compleat Angler philosophy. The award recognizes “a passion for the sport of fly fishing and involvement in the angling community that provides inspiration for others and promotes the legacy of leadership for future generations.” In 2018, Jim was the recipient of the annual “Lefty Kreh Industry Leadership Award,” presented to one individual each year by the American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA).

Jim’s writings and photos and appeared in numerous magazines and publications, and his photo work and galleries can be viewed at www.klugphotos.com. Fly Fishing Belize (released in October 2014) is Jim’s first full-length book project. Jim lives in Bozeman, Montana with his wife Hilary and children Carson, Finn, and Gus.

WEB LINKS:

Klug Photos – www.klugphotos.com

Confluence Films – www.confluencefilms.com

Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures – www.yellowdogflyfishing.com

Yellow Dog co-owner Ian Davis has been involved in the fly fishing industry since the early 1990s. Having grown up in the Catskill Mountains, Ian later went on to attend the Art Institute of Chicago where he studied landscape painting. In the early 90s, he moved to Colorado, where he spent 12 years as the owner of Breckenridge Outfitters, a three-time “Orvis Endorsed Outfitter of the Year” fly shop. After leaving Colorado in 2003, Ian joined the Yellow Dog team as co-owner and saltwater program director. He has fished extensively throughout the world in both fresh and saltwater. Ian is an accomplished photographer and handles all of the art and illustrations for Yellow Dog’s catalogs and other literature.

Tom has been with Yellow Dog for more than ten years, after first starting as an intern at the company straight after graduation from the University of Montana. He has literally worn every hat and worked in every position possible at Yellow Dog, and no one knows the inner-working of the company – or the fishing travel industry – better. After working for years in an overall sales role for the company, Tom’s role expanded in 2020, and he now manages and directs all freshwater and coldwater programs for Yellow Dog. Originally from the Midwest, Tom is a graduate of the University of Montana and as fanatical an angler as anyone we’ve ever met. When not in the office, Tom can be found fishing one of the many backcountry streams Montana has to offer or sitting at the vise tying up some new creations. Over his years with Yellow Dog, Tom has traveled extensively throughout both fresh and saltwater destinations around the globe. If you attend any of the consumer shows where Yellow Dog is participating, chances are great that you’ll meet Tom in the Yellow Dog booth!

John Hudgens is Yellow Dog’s South America program director, managing operations in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil and Venezuela. John has fished extensively throughout South America, and spent several years guiding and managing lodges in Patagonia. John literally grew up in the fly fishing industry, first working for Bob Jacklin in West Yellowstone, Montana before moving on to become one of the top guides for Mike Lawson’s Henry’s Fork Anglers in Idaho. During the peak summer months John still guides in Idaho and Montana before settling back into the Yellow Dog office life each fall season. John is an incredible angler, a fanatical bird hunter and dog trainer, and one of the most genuine and straightforward people that we’ve ever met in this industry.

Shaun Lawson is Yellow Dog’s program manager and director for our Yucatán, Baja and Canadian programs. Shaun grew up on the Henry’s Fork River – literally. His father Mike opened Henry’s Fork Anglers in 1976 and Shaun spent every summer on the river from the age of three on. Shaun brings a ton of industry experience to the position, having guided throughout Montana and Idaho for more than 20 years. Shaun also worked as past fishing operations manager for Idaho’s South Fork Lodge, one of the top lodge and outfitting operations in the business. There are very few people in the entire fly fishing industry as knowledgeable and experienced as Shaun and we are super excited to have him as a part of the Yellow Dog team! His friendly demeanor is often overshadowed by his sheer stature, and you will be hard-pressed to find a more inspired and outgoing angler on any river.

Doug works as Yellow Dog’s program manager for the Bahamas and Honduras. A serious saltwater addict, Doug has fished extensively throughout the Bahamas, Belize, Honduras, Cuba, the Florida Keys and the Yucatán. Growing up in Pennsylvania, Doug McKnight was captivated and obsessed with fishing at a very early age. Hunting and fishing in the McKnight household were always family traditions, and his father Ron and grandfather Stanley always made the time to take him and encourage him to follow his outdoor pursuits. Doug began tying flies at age 9 under his father’s instruction, and soon was tying flies professionally for several local fly shops. For nearly two decades, Doug McKnight has built a reputation as an expert fly tyer in nearly every facet of the craft. From trout flies, bass, saltwater, big game flies, deer hair flies, realistic flies and Atlantic Salmon flies, Doug is an incredibly versatile fly tyer and his creativity shines through in his many published and trademarked patterns. In 2003, Umpqua Feather Merchants signed him up as a signature fly tyer. Today Doug McKnight resides in Livingston, Montana where he lives with his wife Shayla, his two children, and his faithful and crazy bird dog Hawk.

Grey is the Program Director for Belize at Yellow Dog. Originally from North Carolina, Grey grew up fishing and exploring the coastal and mountain regions of the state; at home in both the salt and freshwater. A graduate of Sewanee: The University of the South, he always found time to get out and the waters of the southeast. While in college, Grey interned with Yellow Dog and developed a deep appreciation for Montana and its extensive fisheries. Grey has guided the Bristol Bay region of Alaska, the backcountry of Mongolia and fished internationally throughout the Caribbean and Central America. When not in the office, Grey strives to be on the water or in the mountains surrounding Bozeman on skis or mountain bike. As a member of the Yellow Dog team, Grey seeks to encourage others to see the world through fly fishing.

Jake is Yellow Dog’s program director for our U.S. West and Louisiana programs. Originally from Virginia, Jake moved to Idaho in 2005 and started his career in the fly fishing industry at Henry’s Fork Anglers, one of the most well-known destination fly shops in the Western United States. After leaving Idaho at the beginning of 2013, he relocated to Salt Lake City and worked for a top fly fishing e-commerce retailer, and then as a sales representative for some of the top brands in the industry. Jake is an unbelievable source of knowledge on all things having to do with fly fishing, and he now looks forward to travelling the globe pursuing his passion and helping others to do the same.

A Montana native who grew up in the town of Hardin in the Big Horn region, Camille has been with Yellow Dog for more than five years, focusing mainly on Yellow Dog’s Alaska, Kamchatka and Christmas Island programs. Recently, her role evolved from working at a desk in the office to more of an at-large field position – evaluating lodges, hosting group trips and creating photo and video projects for Yellow Dog. Seeing the world is her passion, and being able to share it with others is her life’s calling. She was raised splitting time between Montana and Alaska, where she’s spent every summer since she was a little girl at her family’s fishing lodge on the Nushagak River in Bristol Bay. She began guiding at a young age, enveloping herself in fly fishing and the great outdoors. She always knew that her passion would become her life’s work, but it has also taken her places she never dreamt of going, let alone fishing! Whether she’s hosting groups of anglers to Christmas Island, Kamchatka and Alaska, fishing her way through Argentina, Brazil and the Seychelles, competing in the GoPro Games and other events, or exploring the waters of the Greater Yellowstone area, Camille is truly one of the best in the business.

Kristen Tripp is Yellow Dog’s Program Director for Cuba and Yellow Dog’s Bluewater Program. A love of travel, culture, the outdoors and angling were cultivated from growing up in Nepal with summers in the Grand Tetons of Wyoming. With travel in her blood, Kristen has lived and traveled all over Latin and South America (including Chile, Argentina, Peru, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Cuba) along with a long list of countries in other continents as well. Despite her global travel experience, she still maintains a healthy bucket list for future exploration. Kristen’s international travel experience combined with her Spanish language skills and an aptitude for complex trip logistics give her the skills necessary to provide travelers to Cuba with a fantastic experience. An angler, paddler, biker, hiker and general outdoor enthusiast, Kristen loves to get outside when possible to explore, and always loves the opportunity to put her Spanish to use. A “logistics addict” with a get-it-done attitude, you can bet that Kristen will work hard to take care of your trip details. If she ever lacks for an immediate answer to your questions, she will work hard to track down the information for you and can troubleshoot in two languages, a must for Cuba trips!

Josh Mills is Yellow Dog’s Day Trip Director for all of our destinations. Originally from the mountains of southern California, Josh now lives in Livingston, Montana. Since moving to Montana Josh has explored Montana’s waters from the Bighorn to Kootenay, and most waters in between. For the past five years, Josh has worked in the fly-fishing industry from guiding in Alaska to right here in Montana. He has in-depth knowledge and experience in the Rocky Mountain West as well as the Yucatan and Belize regions. If you are interested in a day trip to any of the destinations we serve, Josh is Yellow Dog’s go-to expert.  Or if you’re traveling to a new destination or just want to consider a day of fishing wherever your travels may take you, contact Josh. He is very passionate about fly fishing and strives to share his passion with anyone he comes across and will work hard to find you a day trip guide to suit your desires.

Ann Swann is the Office Manager at Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures and Finance Manager for Yellow Dog Community and Conservation Foundation (YDCCF). She ensures the smooth operations of the businesses with her unique combination of education, business and non-profit experience and her specific interest in organizations whose work is invested in relationship building, innovation and improving quality of life. Ann has worked in both for-profit and nonprofit roles creating and managing events, overseeing database administration, on lead generation, resource development, project management, volunteer cultivation and business partnerships. In addition, she spent many years as a parent educator and elementary classroom teacher working with children and families. Ann is a graduate of the University of North Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.

Alyssa is a financial coordinator for Yellow Dog who moved to Montana in 2010 for the fresh mountain air and endless supply of outdoor activities. Alyssa graduated from Georgia Southern University and has lived all over the country but is proud to call Montana home. While not in the office you will find Alyssa spending time in her garden, hiking, biking, fishing, cooking, traveling or doing anything outdoors with her husband Drew, their 3 boys, and their dogs and chickens.

Carter handles the inbound and digital marketing for Yellow Dog. He has a passion for all things marketing, from analytics to search engine optimization. Before joining the Yellow Dog team, he worked for The Fish Hawk in Atlanta, Georgia and for TroutHunter Lodge on the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River. Originally from Atlanta, Carter spent much of his time fly fishing the Chattahoochee River, the Blue Ridge Mountains and throughout North Carolina and Tennessee. Carter has also fished internationally in The Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico, Canada, and Belize. When he’s not in the office, you can find him searching for rising trout on the various streams throughout Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.

Shane works in Yellow Dog’s marketing department. Updating web pages, posting to social media, and ensuring you know about the latest trip specials. Hailing from southern Michigan, Shane has been a resident of Bozeman for almost 15 years. A passionate fly angler, he’s been bitten hard by the saltwater bug and has made multiple trips to The Bahamas. In the summer months, he can be found on the boat with his fiance Jasmine and pointing griffon, Jyn. As fall shows up, he makes his way to the mountains in pursuit of elk and deer. Rooster filled cattail ditches and upland prairie are the recent addiction where you’ll find Jyn on point and Shane missing as the rooster flushes.

A lifelong pisciphile, Bryan grew up fishing Cottonwood Creek and spent the bulk of his twenties on water, surfing Hawaii and working as a commercial fisherman in the Pacific and northern Atlantic. After mastering photography in the winter action sports industry, Bryan turned his lens to capturing fly fishing around the globe. He is the humble recipient of numerous awards and large-scale assignments, with work ranging from major magazine covers to billboards to groundbreaking cinematography shorts. Bryan has worked with Patagonia, Volvo Cars, Scott Fly Rods, Hatch Outdoors, TroutHunter Lodge, Casa Blanca and Playa Blanca Resorts, Rainy’s Flies, William Joseph, Trout Unlimited, Scientific Anglers, The Drake, FlyFish Journal, NW/SW Fly Fishing, and dozens of other brands, conservation groups and publications

Brenda joined the Yellow Dog Team the summer 2014. Brenda works as a Program Director Assistant and Itinerary Specialist for Belize, the Seychelles and many of Yellow Dog’s most exotic and off-the-grid offerings. Brenda also prides herself in being knowledgeable in all of the Yellow Dog programs in order to be of assistance to as many of our clients as possible. You can always count on Brenda to be upbeat, show care and attention for the details, and provide a friendly voice on the other end of the line with a happy, can-do attitude. When not in the office, Brenda loves being in the outdoors and on the water. She enjoys fishing with her husband Joe and hiking with her border collie Charlie.

Jen is the itinerary pro and logistical support for the Mexico and Canada programs. Book a trip to either of these destinations and chances are you’ll be chatting with her at some point! Raised in Montana, in the small community of Big Timber, she grew up fishing the Yellowstone and Boulder rivers with her dad and brothers. She is a Montana State University alum who returned to Bozeman after taking some time to travel and explore outside of the state and country. When not at work, Jen can be found spending time with her family and being outside as much as possible!

Kalen (pronounced Kay-lin) works as a Program Director Assistant and Itinerary Specialist for Cuba and South America. A Midwesterner at heart, Kalen was raised lake-fishing on the plentiful waters of Minnesota and Wisconsin. She has lived all over the country, travelled across Spain on foot, and toured all of Montana with Shakespeare in the Parks and Schools. Outside of the office, she can be found teaching yoga, hiking, camping, singing, cooking, and enjoying her family.

Calli is an itinerary, logistical, and support guru for anglers traveling to Belize and many of Yellow Dog’s other locations. She comes to us with industry experience in fly fishing, marketing, and business. A graduate of the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, MN and a Minnesotan by heart, she eventually found her way via fly fishing to join us here in Bozeman. 

After graduation, she served under the Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information & Athletic Communication at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, MN, simultaneously while earning her MBA. While working and studying she managed media and information services for 20 varsity sports programs, athletic website content—including post/pre-game write-ups, features stories, and more—and game-day operations, social media, and many other facets of an NCAA DIII college sports information department.

Her love of the outdoors was instilled in her as a child, spending countless hours at the family lake cabin in the land of 10,000 lakes. Calli has caught dozens of species, but it wasn’t until she went fly fishing in the Driftless area of southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin, that she knew her fishing passion was now in casting a fly rod to beautiful fish.

When not working to assist Yellow Dog’s customers, Calli enjoys discovering new waters and catching new species, backpacking into the mountains in search of high alpine trout, and participating in some occasional big-game rifle hunting. She also enjoys spending time with her siblings—of which she is an identical quadruplet.

We are thrilled to have Calli on the Yellow Dog team. Prior to joining Yellow Dog, she worked at Seacat Creative and The Rivers Edge West fly shop and we are excited to have her enthusiasm, skills, and experience working for our customers.

With over forty years of experience fly fishing the world, Jeff has quite possibly fished more countries and caught more species on a fly rod than any person alive. He’s an active lecturer, published author, a well-known artist, and the subject of numerous films, articles and media projects. Jeff is constantly traveling and developing new techniques for catching the most exotic fish imaginable in places where even the most avid adventurers are hesitant to go. An IGFA World Record holder, Jeff has fished in over 55 countries and caught over 375 species of fish on a fly. The oldest member of the Yellow Dog Ambassador team, Jeff can now die happy having watched the Cubs finally win a World Series.

Raised in South Africa, Jako Lucas began fishing South Africa’s fresh and saltwater destinations at the age of four. He represented his country in various competitions throughout his youth before starting his career as a full-time guide in 2006. Along the way he expanded his horizons to include photography and film work, establishing his own action film production company, Captain Jack Films. Jako’s guide resume includes years of working in Mongolia, Norway, and all throughout the Indian Ocean; including time spent on Astove, Cosmoledo, Farquhar, Providence, and Alphonse. He’s fished all across the globe and has won numerous awards for his film work. Jako is currently a consultant for Thomas and Thomas Rods.

Permit and steelhead addict Wil Flack has been living, guiding and working in Belize for the past 15 years. Wil owns Tres Pescados Fly Shop on Ambergris Caye, and recently opened the Belize Permit Club further to the south in Hopkins. Wil has fished all over the world, including Tahiti and French Polynesia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Fiji, Venezuela, the Bahamas, Australia, Hawaii, Japan and throughout the US West and Canada. He was featured in the 2013 Confluence Films project, Waypoints, searching for jungle payara and eating barbequed jungle rat with his friend Oliver White. When you finish up a day of fishing with Wil, he’ll gladly take a gin and tonic – with two olives.

Paula is a guide and outfitter in Alberta, Canada, where she spends her season working on the renowned Bow River and surrounding fisheries. She has developed a reputation as one of the hardest-working guides in the region, and she is well-respected by clients and competitors alike. Paula is a focused and driven professional, and from an early age she has excelled in the world of outdoor sports. Early on, she was playing hockey, ringette and lacrosse, and competing at the professional level for Team Canada working hard in hopes of making the Olympic team. In those same early years, Paula developed a deep love for water – both frozen and flowing – and could be found on the river at any opportunity. Through her years of competing in winter sports, Paula learned the value of a focused work ethic and experienced first-hand the drive and determination it takes to accomplish her goals. Paula has transitioned what she’s learned to the outfitting world, trading her skeleton sled for a drift boat and applying her skills to a full-time pursuit of fish.